Egypt promises no interference with Saint Catherine's monastery?

SAINT CATHERINE'S MONASTERY: Egypt Affirms Saint Catherine Monastery’s Status After Court Clarification (Tasos Kokkinidis, Greek Reporter).

Egypt has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai, emphasizing that a recent court ruling has further solidified its protected status.

Cairo said that the court ruling, which was mistakenly interpreted as a prelude to the seizure and closure of the world’s oldest continuously functioning Christian monastery, does the exact opposite: It safeguards its future.

[...]

This story made a splash last week, but I'm only getting to it now.

I don't really understand what was going on. That is, I don't know whether this legal ruling opens the door to the seizure of the site from the monks (the original media narrative) or closes that door and protect the site. Or whether that depends on its intepretation. I don't know where to read the actual ruling and I doubt I could be confident of understanding all its implications anyway.

But in any case, it appears that the Egyptian Goverment recognized that the story was getting a lot of bad publicity, so they stepped in to assure the Monastery that it was safe. There are more details of the Government's respose here.

I commend the Egyptian Government for clarifying its position. They clearly understand the reputational damage that would result from any effort to interfere with the long-established operations of Saint Catherine's Monastery.

But let's do keep an eye on this and make sure they stick to it.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Saint Catherine's Monastery and its important collection of manuscripts, start here and follow the links.

PRE-POSTING UPDATE: As I was about to post this I found a post by Luke Coppen in his Substack, The Pillar: What’s happening at Egypt’s St Catherine’s Monastery? A controversial court ruling over the ownership of the ancient monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai has caused outcry. He seems to have more information on the Egyptian ruling, based on Greek media. He says:

On May 28, the Egyptian Court of Appeals issued a ruling widely interpreted as declaring the monastery state property, while recognizing the monks’ right to perform their religious duties at the site.

But the 160-page text was of such complexity that even legal professionals struggled to grasp it fully.

I can't vouch for his assessment, having not seen the information directly. But I was worried about this. If the ruling is actually this complicated, then how it is implemented is a matter of goodwill. So, as I said above, let's keep an eye on the situation.

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INL displays the Crowns of Damascus manuscripts

EXHIBITION: Ancient 'Damascus Crowns' unveiled in Jerusalem in tribute to Syrian Chief Rabbi. In a moving ceremony at the National Library in Jerusalem, the public was granted a rare glimpse of the ancient “Damascus Crowns” — Torah manuscripts smuggled from Syria in a daring operation led by Rabbi Avraham Hamra (Israel National News).

The “Damascus Crowns” are some of the oldest Torah manuscripts in existence, featuring cantillation marks, vowel notation, and intricate masoretic commentary. They were preserved for generations in Damascus synagogues and were smuggled out using creative and covert methods.

For more on the Crowns of Damascus—eleven very early vocalized Hebrew Bible manuscripts—see here and links. For a summary overview of their story, see this Chabad essay by Yehudis Litvak: The Untold Story of the Crowns of Damascus.

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Agrippa's Pan place at Paneas

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY: New Discoveries in the Pan Grotto in Paneas (Adi Erlich and Ron Lavi).

Travelers who visit the springs of Paneas in the Hermon Stream Nature Reserve in Northern Israel, at the foot of Mt. Hermon, are amazed by the cliff, water, and forest scenery. However, the most impressive feature of that landscape is a big natural cave on the cliff, which, during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, was associated with the cult of Pan, the god of the wild and shepherds.

[...]

For more on Herod Agrippa II and his Pan sanctuary at Paneas (a.k.a. Bania), see here and links.

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Leonard J. Greenspoon (1945-2025)

SAD NEWS FROM H-JUDAIC: Passing of Prof. Leonard J. Greenspoon (1945-2025).

H-Judaic is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Prof. Leonard J. Greenspoon (1945-2025), Klutznick Chair (emeritus) at Creighton University, Omaha, where he also served as Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Studies and Theology.

[...]

Lennie was a great guy, always full of good cheer, and an accomplished Septuagint scholar and expert on the history of Jewish Bible translations. May his memory be for a blessing.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Shavuot 2025

THE FESTIVAL OF SHAVUOT (Weeks, Pentecost) begins tonight at sundown. Best wishes to all those celebrating.

Last year's Shavuot post is here, linking back to previous years' posts. For biblical references, see here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Judeophobia and the New Testament (Eerdmans)

NEW BOOK FROM EERDMANS:

Judeophobia and the New Testament
Texts and Contexts

Edited by Sarah E. Rollens, Eric M. Vanden Eykel and Meredith J. C. Warren

Imprint: Eerdmans

372 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in

HARDCOVER
9780802882882
Publication Date: April 24, 2025
$44.99
£34.99

EBOOK
9781467466158
Publication Date: April 24, 2025
$44.99
£34.99

DESCRIPTION

An essential resource for understanding the troubling role of the Christian scriptures in anti-Semitism

This eye-opening collection of essays is essential reading for anyone concerned about the ways that Christian scripture has been used—both in the past and the present—in service of anti-Semitism. The authors seek to identify, contextualize, and problematize New Testament “Judeophobia,” a broad heading that encompasses anti-Semitism, supersessionism, and various discriminatory practices against Jews at different points in history.

In the first half of Judeophobia and the New Testament: Texts and Contexts, readers engage with the subject matter through thematic essays. In the second half, readers engage with text-based essays that focus on individual books of the New Testament as well as relevant non-canonical literature. Throughout, the book’s goal is to educate readers about the ways that New Testament texts have been used to engender Judeophobia from the early church to today. While the book is designed primarily as a resource for teachers and students, it also aims to help New Testament scholars account for Judeophobic interpretations, take responsibility for them, and encourage the discipline to work against its own role in rising anti-Jewish rhetoric and violence.

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Benjamin (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Deuteronomy

NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Oxford Handbook of Deuteronomy

Edited by Don C. Benjamin

Oxford Handbooks

£97.00

Hardback
Published: 23 April 2025
528 Pages
248x171mm
ISBN: 9780190273552

Description

The Oxford Handbook of Deuteronomy is a gateway to what legal traditions teach about the cultural identity and social world of the people of YHWH — how they thought about themselves, and about their world and how they faced and resolved the challenges of daily life. More than a record of values of a by-gone era, Deuteronomy continues to inspire audiences to take on the challenges of living their values with confidence. The Oxford Handbook of Deuteronomy introduces readers to significant topics in the thriving conversation and the rich diversity in the academic community studying Deuteronomy. An international collection of scholars, the contributors are specialists in a variety of critical methods for understanding and appreciating legal traditions. Considering the literary development, motifs, social world, intertextuality, and reception history of Deuteronomy this Handbook offers a ready reference to anyone wishing to learn more about one of the most formative books of the Hebrew Bible.

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Smithsonian returns Chinese "Dead Sea Scrolls" to China

REPATRIATION: The Smithsonian Transfers Rare 2,300-Year-Old Silk Manuscripts to China. The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts were smuggled into the United States in the 1940s. Scholars say they provide remarkable insights into ancient Chinese philosophy and religion (Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine).

Dating to around 300 B.C.E., the Zidanku Manuscripts are the oldest known silk manuscripts found in China and the only ones from the Warring States period. They’re thought to be a divination guide that offers rare insights into ancient Chinese philosophy and religion.

Volume II, also known as “Wuxing Ling,” contains lunar calendar illustrations and accompanying text that explains “seasonal taboos and auspicious practices,” per the Chinese news agency Xinhua. The texts in Volume III, or “Gongshou Zhan,” are arranged in a rare circular pattern and are read clockwise. They may offer guidance for attacking and defending cities.

“The Dead Sea Scrolls are foundational to understanding the religious roots of Judaism and Christianity,” Li Ling, a scholar of Chinese studies at Peking University, tells the Chinese broadcaster CCTV, perSouth China Morning Post’s Luna Sun. “The Zidanku manuscripts are no less vital to Chinese civilization. They speak to our ancient knowledge systems, our understanding of the cosmos and the details of everyday life.”.

This story has been getting a lot of attention, with predictable emphasis on the parallels to the Dead Sea Scrolls. For example here, with some additional details.

Another famous set of Chinese manuscripts comparable in date to the Scrolls (and also compared to them, e.g. here) is the Ma-wang-tui silk manuscripts of Lao-Tzu's Tao-Te-Ching (and some other works). They were discovered in 1973 in an ancient tomb dated to 168 BCE. Robert G. Hendricks published an English translation of the Lao-Tzu texts in Lao-Tzu: Te-Tao Ching: A New Translation Based on the Recently Discovered Ma-wang tui Texts (Classics of Ancient China) (Random House, 1989 with reprints).

And for some other Warring-States-era manuscripts, Confucian texts written on bamboo, see here. They too "have been compared to the Dead Sea scrolls."

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Coptic-era building with mural, inscriptions, etc. excavated in Egypt

COPTIC WATCH: Coptic period structure unearthed in Assiut, Upper Egypt (Nevine El-Aref , ahramonline).

An Egyptian-led archaeological team unearthed the remains of a mudbrick structure in the Monqabad area of Assiut in Upper Egypt, believed to date back to the sixth and seventh centuries AD during the Coptic era in the country. ...

These inscriptions and carvings include a unique depiction of multiple eyes surrounding a central face, which is interpreted as representing spiritual insight and inner vision, key themes in Coptic religious tradition.

Another striking mural features a man holding a child, believed to represent Saint Joseph carrying the Christ Child. The mural is flanked by figures thought to be Jesus' disciples, with inscriptions in the Coptic language.

There are some nice photos in the article, but I can't find any of the face-carving or the mural there, or anywhere so far.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

A new inscribed ostracon from Lachish

HEBREW EPIGRAPHY: Discovered: Lachish Ostracon Bearing Biblical Name ‘Shaphan’. A rare name in the Bible and archaeology (for good reason) (CHRISTOPHER EAMES, Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology).

The sherd dates to the end of the Iron Age—discovered in a layer destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 b.c.e. (Level ii)—and though it doesn’t tell us much, as far as content goes, it does bear the rare name of a particular biblical figure also on the scene at the same time: Shaphan.

The article links to the underlying open-access article in the Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology:

New Hebrew Ostracon from Lachish

Daniel Vainstub, Hoo-Goo Kang, Barak Sober, Iris Arad, and Yosef Garfinkel

Abstract

In an archaeological excavation conducted in 2016 on the northern slope of Tel Lachish, the triangular lower-right corner of a Hebrew ostracon was found. It was assigned to Level II, which was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. Despite the very faded condition of the inscription, the following phrase can be cautiously reconstructed for its bottom line: “On the 1[6?] (day of the month) Shapan [son (of) ].” This phrase probably summarizes or closes an administrative document.

For some comments on the Shaphan mentioned in the Bible, the discoverer (composer??) of the book of the law during Josiah's reign, see here. For a discussion of the excavated seal impression belonging to his son, Gemaryahu, see the article by Lawrence J. Mykytiuk linked to here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

More on the Mount Zion stone-cup cryptic inscription

CRYPTIC EPIGRAPHIC ARTIFACT: Jewish Secrets Scratched in Stone: 2,000-year-old Cryptic Text Found in Jerusalem. Excavating on Mount Zion, Shimon Gibson's team found a bewildering stone mug with a script type only seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Adonai is mentioned (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

In Gibson's mind, the inscribed mug from his Mount Zion dig speaks to the diverse complexity of ancient Judaism that was still finding its way 2,000 years ago. Was ritual prayer something only to be done at the Temple, or could it be done at home? Could chanting be used? Did it use a repetition of words, with an uplifting of the voice, and when was it to be done? The mug is a small piece of evidence pointing to an entire world hidden from view, one we can only glimpse at, like looking through a crack in a wall.

Did the Mount Zion mug have any kind of an association with the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls, whether they were Qumranite sectarians or perhaps even the Essenes themselves, based on their mutual use of cryptic writing? Maybe cryptic writing was much more common at that time than has previously been thought, and not just among sectarians but also among city dwellers as well? We don't know; the crack we have been peering through simply hasn't widened enough to show us a corpus of texts from every other part of the country; Judaism at the time had certain commonalities, but it was also very diverse, Gibson asserts.

A typically throughly-researched article by Ms. Schuster.

I noted the discovery of the cup in 2009 and followed up with quite a few posts. I talked with Stephen Pfann about it later that year and posted on the conversation here. For the other posts, start here and follow the links.

For more on 4Q186, the cryptic Qumran horoscope text, see here.

Back to the current article, regarding this:

Another expert on ancient Jewish paleography, Dr. David Hamidović of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, noted another similarity, with incantation and curse texts from a somewhat later time, which often feature seemingly meaningless words or letters known as nomina barbara. This mug seems amply blessed with nomina barbara.

As far as I am aware, nomina barbara in esoteric and ritual texts are only currently known in late-antique and later texts. If a ritual cup from the first century CE really does have them, that would be important news.

That said, given the present state of its decipherment, it's possible that the "nomina barbara" are just actual words that the decipherers have not yet figured out. It's hard to tell before a decipherment is published.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Another gold ring excavated at the Givati Parking Lot

STILL MORE ANCIENT BLING: 2nd gold ring found in City of David sheds light on enigmatic Hellenist era in Jerusalem. The artifacts might have been buried by a young girl on the eve of her wedding, but whether she was Judean, Greek or both remains a mystery (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).

n exquisite gold ring set with a red gemstone, dating back some 2,300 years, has been unearthed beneath the floor of a Hellenistic structure in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and the City of David announced Wednesday.

Strikingly similar to another ring discovered in the same spot a year ago, the artifact was found in the Givati Parking Lot excavation in the Jerusalem Walls National Park, only steps away from where the ancient Temple stood at the time. Yet, according to the researchers, whether the owners were wealthy Judaeans, Greek elites, or possibly individuals who straddled both cultures remains a mystery.

[...]

PaleoJudaica noted the discovery of that other ring almost exactly a year ago. The current article reports that a bronze earring was previously excavated at the same spot. I didn't know about that one, although another gold earring was found at the Givati Parking Lot in 2018.

For PaleoJudaica posts on the Givati Parking Lot excavation and the many discoveries there, see the links collected here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Phoenician coin exhibition at American University of Beirut

PHOENICIAN WATCH: Minting Power: Phoenician Coins and the Politics of Identity (Patricia Khoder, ​Office of Communications, American University of Beirut).

A war galley, a winged seahorse, two rocks floating in the sea, and a dog searching for a seashell — these are just a few of the tiny inscriptions and motifs found on ancient coins from Phoenicia, on display until fall 2025 at the Archaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut (AUB).​

The exhibition, titled Coined for Power: Rulers, Myths and Propaganda, is curated by Dr. Nadine Haroun Panayot, curator of the AUB Archaeological Museum, and Dr. Jack Nurpetlian, lecturer and numismatist in the Department of History and Archaeology at AUB. The exhibition showcases around 20 coins from the university's remarkable and visually striking collection, which spans every major historical period. It takes visitors on a journey through time, tracing the rich history of the Mediterranean and Levantine shores.

[...]

For more on that coin propaganda feud between the major Phoenician cities, see here.

Cross-file under Numismatics. Some more posts on Phoenician coinage are here, here, here, here, and here. For lots of posts on Carthaginian and Tunsian (Punic) coinage, follow the links from here, plus here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Durham appoints Grant Macaskill to Lightfoot Chair

DURHAM UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY AND RELIGION: Professor Grant Macaskill appointed as new Lightfoot Professor of Divinity.

We welcome Professor Grant Macaskill to our University as our new Lightfoot Professor of Divinity. He will join our leading Department of Theology and Religion in September.

Grant Macaskill earned his PhD at the University of St. Andrews. In fact, I was the internal examiner for his PhD viva. He also served as Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at the Divinity School of the University of St. Andrews before his move to Aberdeen University. More details on his career are at the link.

Grant is a highly respected New Testament scholar and also an expert on 2 Enoch, one of those Old Testament pseudepigrapha preserved largely in Old Church Slavonic which I mentioned yesterday. I noted his monograph on it here last year.

Congratulations to Professor Macaskill and to Durham University!

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Cyril and Methodius Day 2025, second round

OLD CHURCH SLAVONIC WATCH: Saints Cyril and Methodius: A Legacy Etched into Bulgarian Script (Katerina Taneva, BGNES News Agency).

May 11 and May 24, now observed as the Day of Bulgarian Education and Culture and of the Slavic Alphabet, are often referred to as a “Spiritual Easter” — a time not only for remembrance but for cultural pride and renewal.

Today is the Feast Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, as celebrated in Bulgaria, Ukraine, Macedonia, and Russia.

As noted above and in the following, it is also celebrated on 11 May: Memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles (The Orthodox Times).

The Orthodox Church commemorates Hieromartyr Mocius, Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles, and Enlighteners of the Slavs. The Church also commemorates the founding of Constantinople.

[...]

The two brothers lived in the ninth century and were the creators of the Cyrillic alphabet. Their work is of interest to PaleoJudaica because many Old Testament pseudepigrapha survive in Old Church Slavonic or Church Slavonic.

Their feast day is also celebrated on 14 February and 5 July. For full details and links, see here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Online, interactive Egyptian hieroglyphics instruction

PEDAGOGY: Explainer - Hieroglyphs Step by Step: 1st platform for teaching ancient Egyptian language. (Shahd Hashem, ahramonline).

Egypt’s first interactive platform for learning ancient Egyptian language, the “Hieroglyphs Step by Step” website, has recently launched its second development phase, expanding its reach and educational tools.

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Review of Feldman, The Consuming Fire: The Complete Priestly Source ...

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Review | The Consuming Fire: The Complete Priestly Source, from Creation to the Promised Land (Sarah Shectman).

Liane Feldman, The Consuming Fire: The Complete Priestly Source, from Creation to the Promised Land (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2023).

... This, in the end, is part of what makes Feldman’s treatment so successful. In other words, one of the greatest benefits of separating P out is that it forces you to read it on its own, something that is virtually impossible if you’re looking at the whole canonical text. You can know in theory what P does and does not contain, but it’s different when you read it seamlessly in one go. Then you really see that in P there’s no law given at Sinai, there’s no Miriam, and the Israelites do not begin their conquest while they are in the wilderness. ...

I noted an essay by the author on the book here. And for posts on her earlier book, The Story of Sacrifice, mentioned in this review, see here and links

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A 5-minute documentary on the Sifting Project

THE TEMPLE MOUNT SIFTING PROJECT BLOG: KAN 11 SHORT DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE TMSP.

But when Itay came to film and kept stopping me every time I tried to go into detailed explanations—telling me I’d already lost him—I realized he might actually be the perfect person to deliver our story into something accessible to the broader public and to younger audience.

After two days of filming, we ended up with a five-minute video. Here it is—the final result.

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The archaeology of the Cave of Salome

FUNERARY ARCHAEOLOGY: Christian pilgrim chapel and Saint Salome inscriptions found in Judean cave. Study details fifth- to ninth-century conversion of a Second Temple tomb into a worship site, complete with apse, altar and multilingual graffiti (Jerusalem Post Staff).

A new article in ‘Atiqot 117 by Nir-Shimshon Paran and Vladik Lifshits follows decades of exploration at the Cave of Salome near Amaẓya and sets out the evidence for its use as a Christian pilgrimage destination from the Byzantine through Abbasid eras . The authors record how a previously Jewish burial estate, hewn in the late first century BCE, was structurally and liturgically re-oriented between the fifth and ninth centuries CE.

[...]

The underlying ‘Atiqot is once again from the current "Archaeology of Death" volume:

Paran, Nir-Shimshon and Lifshits, Vladik (2025) "The Cave of Salome: A Second Temple Period Royal Burial Estate in the Judean Shephelah," 'Atiqot: Vol. 117, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040X.2254
Available at: https://publications.iaa.org.il/atiqot/vol117/iss1/6

Abstract:

This paper presents the results of previous and recent archaeological work conducted at the burial estate known as the Cave of Salome in the Judean Lowlands (Shephelah). Following the new excavation at the site, and findings at nearby sites, it is suggested that the grandeur burial estate—one of the most elaborate burial complexes of the Second Temple period—belonged to a member of the royal family, whose name, “Salome,” was preserved in the later, Christian use of the site in the Byzantine period. This article considers the geographic and historic background of the region, as well as the architectural features of the burial estate compared to other contemporary enclosures, offering a new possible identification of the burial estate’s owner.

In short, the argument is that this is the tomb of Salome, the sister of Herod the Great. But later Christian tradition took it to be the tomb of Salome the disciple of Jesus (Mark 15:40–41, 16:1-2).

Neither is to be confused with Salome, daughter of Herodias, who is inferred to have danced before Herod and then asked for the head of John the Baptist. Also not to be confused with Salome the daughter of Herod or the probably legendary Salome the midwife in the Protevangelion of James. Etc. There were lots of Salomes in and around the biblical tradition.

For more on the Cave of Salome, see here and here.

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Review of Faraone Festschrift

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Magic and religion in the ancient Mediterranean world: studies in honor of Christopher A. Faraone.

Radcliffe G. Edmonds III, Carolina López-Ruiz, Sofía Torallas Tovar, Magic and religion in the ancient Mediterranean world: studies in honor of Christopher A. Faraone. Abingdon; New York: Routledge, 2023. Pp. 396. ISBN 9781032341262.

Review by
Marko Vitas, École Pratique des Hautes Études (Paris Sciences et Lettres). vitas.marko@gmail.com

... The present volume highlights the importance of Faraone’s interdisciplinary work for the study of ancient magic in two parts through the contributions of his colleagues and former students: Materials and Cross-Cultural Contexts. I evaluate individual chapters first, and then discuss the book as a whole. ...

I noted the publication of the book here. Follow the links from there for more on Faraone's work.

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Roman-era pine coffin excavated on the Incense Road

FUNERARY ARCHAEOLOGY: First Aleppo-pine coffin found on the Nabataean Incense Road near Avedat. Discovery of a uniquely preserved Roman-period burial, just meters from Israel’s Route 40, adds a rare wooden coffin to the Negev corpus and sits opposite a later Byzantine Christian cemetery (Jerusalem Post Staff).

The underlying article is published in the current ("Archaeology of Death") volume of the open-access journal 'Atiqot:

Sapir, Tal and Erickson-Gini, Tali (2025) "A Wooden Coffin from the Incense Road and Other Wooden Coffins from Southern Israel," 'Atiqot: Vol. 117, Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040X.2256
Available at: https://publications.iaa.org.il/atiqot/vol117/iss1/8

Abstract:

In 2022, a hewn tomb was discovered along the course of the Nabataean Incense Road, c. 2 km northwest of the ancient site of ‘Avedat (Oboda) in the Negev Highlands of southern Israel. The excavation of the grave revealed the remains of a wooden coffin from the Roman period, in the second or third centuries CE. Although wooden coffins have been uncovered elsewhere in the region, this coffin is the first of its kind to be discovered along the Incense Road. This article presents the coffin and discusses its historical and archaeological context, as well as the distribution of wooden coffins in southern Israel, their origin and use.

For PaleoJudaica posts involving the Nabatean (Nabataean) site of Avdat (‘Avedat, Ovdat, Uvdat), start here and follow the links. Cross-file under Nabatean Watch (?).

Other articles in this volume of 'Atiqot are noted here and links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Review of Fredriksen, Ancient Christianities

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years (Joseph Foltz).

Fredriksen, Paula. Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2024.

Paula Fredriksen begins Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years with a question: considering the variety of gods and local deities present in both the ancient Mediterranean and the Roman Empire, how did one singular god end up dominating the focus of the late Roman Empire? Ultimately, Fredriksen not only answers this question but also introduces her reader to the numerous intricacies of narrating the history of Christianity. ...

Cross-file under New Book.

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A Roman pig-jaw funerary offering at the Legio VI Ferrata camp?

OSTEO-PORCINE FUNERARY ARCHAEOLOGY: First Evidence of Roman Pig-Jaw Funerary Ritual Uncovered in Israel. (Abdul Moeed, Greek Reporter).

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of a Roman funerary pig ritual at a military camp near the base of Tel Megiddo in northern Israel, once home to more than 5,000 Roman soldiers.

Known as Legio, the site served as a permanent base for nearly 180 years, from around 117 to 300 CE. The discovery sheds light on burial customs practiced by Roman legions stationed far from the empire’s center.

[...]

The article notes that the underlying technical article is published in the current volume of the open-access journal ʻAtiqot:

Perry-Gal, Lee; Leyfirer, Greg; Adams, Matthew J.; and Tepper, Yotam (2025) "Pig Sacrifice and Feasting in Roman Funerary Practices: A Case Study of the Roman Legionary Cemetery at Legio," 'Atiqot: Vol. 117, Article 10.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040X.2258
Available at: https://publications.iaa.org.il/atiqot/vol117/iss1/10. Abstract:

The Greek name for the pig is ὕς, once called θῦς from the verb θῦειν, that is, ‘to sacrifice’ (Varro, Rust. 4.9)

Excavations in the Roman cemetery near the Legio VI Ferrata legionary base, dated to the second–third centuries CE, exposed a pit containing the remains of at least 13 domestic pigs represented by jaws, primarily mandibles. This study presents new evidence of the role of pigs in Roman military ceremonies, specifically in funerary practices, based on comparable archaeological data and historical and iconographic evidence. The discovery provides valuable insights into the role of pigs in Roman burial practices, suggesting that these remains do not represent the economic waste of mundane consumption activities, but rather reflect practices associated with funerary ceremonies conducted at this Roman cemetery. The new evidence sheds light on burial practices within the Eastern Roman provinces in the Levant, particularly of Roman legions in the province of Syria Palastina.

Incidentally, this volume of 'Atiqot (Volume 117, 2025) is devoted to the Archaeology of Death.

This volume of ‘Atiqot focuses on the archaeology of death, discussing mortuary contexts and practices throughout the ages. The enigmatic nature of burials and their association with different perceptions of the afterlife have drawn scholarly interest, as did the frequently opulent and well-preserved burial artifacts. The diverse funerary contexts provide valuable insights into the individuals buried there, their social standing and associated ritual practices.

I have already noted articles from it here and here. There are other interesting ones that may come up.

For more on the Legio VI Ferrata (6th Legion Ironclad) Roman camp near the site of Megiddo, start here and follow the links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

The Pilgrimage Road

ARCHAEOLOGY: Ancient road connecting ancient Mikveh to Temple unveiled by archaeologists. Orenstein emphasized that excavations like that of the Pilgrimage Road put biblical stories into historical context (JOANIE MARGULIES, Jerusalem Post).

Unveiled to The Jerusalem Post on a special visit, The Pilgrimage Road is where people made a religious journey to the Temple for Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. Stretching only a couple of short miles from the complex, the road is presumed to have been followed between the Siloam Pool and the Temple, as people entered the pool in a ritual bathing process ahead of the annual religious festivals.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Jerusalem Pilgrimage Road excavation and its discoveries, see the links collected here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Gallagher, The Apocrypha through History (OUP)

NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Apocrypha through History

The Canonical Reception of the Deuterocanonical Literature

Edmon L. Gallagher

£99.00

Hardback
Published: 22 April 2025
320 Pages | 3 black-and-white illustrations
234x156mm
ISBN: 9780192869517

Also Available As:
E-book

Description

The deuterocanonical books, otherwise called the Apocrypha, have been a part of Christian Bibles for as long as there has been a Christian Bible. For just as long, there have been disputes about their authority. Are they canonical Scripture, or merely edifying literature? These opposing positions can be found in the Church Fathers of the fourth and fifth centuries, who in turn influenced the entire subsequent discussion. The deuterocanonical books were almost always considered beneficial, often canonical, though there emerged with the Reformation in the sixteenth century Christian writers who disputed even the value of these books, suggesting that they might pose dangers to the faithful. The Apocrypha through History surveys the entire history of this issue, with a concentration on materials in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin (for the earlier period) or English and German (for the later period). Edmon L. Gallagher explores the origins of the deuterocanonical books and their reception in Judaism and Christianity, with separate chapters on the New Testament, the patristic period, the Latin West, the Greek East, the Reformation, and the English Bible. At each stage, the book investigates who considered the deuterocanonical books to be fully canonical—or not—and why? The Apocrypha through History provides a thorough yet accessible examination of one aspect of the history of the Bible, concluding with a chapter reflecting on whether it makes a difference if one's bible includes the deuterocanonical books.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Cifers, Dangerous Tales (SBL)

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Dangerous Tales: Genesis 34 and Its Literary Descendants
Carrie A. Cifers

ISBN 9781628376302
Volume BibRec 9
Status Available
Publication Date April 2025

Hardback $77.00
eBook $57.00
Paperback $57.00

The biblical narrative of Israel’s only daughter Dinah is steeped in deception and violence, vengeance and destruction, and a silence that has posed interpretive problems for readers for more than two millennia. Carrie A. Cifers takes up the retellings of Genesis 34 in Josephus’s Jewish Antiquities, the book of Jubilees, and Joseph and Aseneth to explore how later authors tried to clarify the assumedly implicit ethical message of Dinah’s story. Through narrative ethics and socionarratology, Cifers demonstrates that biblical stories are a space of encounter where texts make claims on readers and where readers have an ethical responsibility as witnesses to the text. Dangerous Tales is a call for contemporary readers to engage biblical narratives in ways that mitigate interpretive violence and maximize each text’s ethical potential.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Sporadic blogging

BLOGGING may be light and sporadic over the next 3-4 weeks. I'll keep to it as much as I can.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Late-antique African figurines excavated in Negev

ICONOGRAPHY: African Figurines Made of Asian Wood Found in Early Christian Graves in Israel. Archaeologists excavating Byzantine tombs by the Nevatim air base in southern Israel two unique pendants that may whisper of early converts to Christianity from Ethiopia coming to the Holy Land (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

For a place few people have heard of, the town at Tel Malhata in the northeastern Negev Desert had a long and distinguished history. Now it is also home to one of the stranger finds in the annals of Israeli archaeology: wooden pendants of what are clearly African-style heads, carved from southeast Asian blackwood, found in early Christian graves.

"It is a very special find," agrees Dr. Noé D. Michael of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the University of Cologne in Germany, who handled the inspection and assisted at the excavation next to the Nevatim air base in the Negev, which is really where this story begins.

[...]

This story is getting a lot of media attention. This article notes the underlying article just published in the open-access journal ʻAtiqot:

Michael, Noé D.; Talis, Svetlana; Nagar, Yossi; and Aladjem, Emil (2025) "Bone and Ebony Figurines from Christian Burials in the Roman–Byzantine Necropolis of Tel Malḥata," 'Atiqot: Vol. 117, Article 12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040X.2260. Abstract:

A large cemetery dating to the Roman–Byzantine period was exposed south of Tel Malḥata, in the northeastern Negev Desert. Most of the burials were cist graves, comprising an individual buried according to Christian burial traditions. It is noteworthy that woman and children constitute the majority of the burials with grave goods. Three excavated cist tombs, of two women and a child, are discussed below in light of their rare burial goods, which included bone and ebony figurines, the latter possibly pointing to an “Ethiopian” origin of the interred.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Matthew Goff honored

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY: FSU names three faculty as Distinguished Research Professor (KATHLEEN HAUGHNEY). Congratulations to all three FSU faculty, but notably to Matthew Goff:

Matthew Goff, Religion, College of Arts and Sciences

Matthew Goff is a prolific scholar of Early Judaism and Biblical studies. His research has involved close readings of ancient texts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. He has training in multiple languages, including Biblical Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Middle Egyptian, Ge’ez (Classical Ethiopic), German, French and Latin. Goff joined the Department of Religion in 2005. He completed an M.T.S degree in 1997 at Harvard Divinity School and finished his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in 2002. His most recent book is “The Apocrypha: A Guide” (Oxford, 2024). Goff’s current book project is on demons and monsters in ancient Judaism and early Christianity.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

On the leaders of the Bar Kokhba Revolt

FOR LAG B'OMER: Who really led the Bar Kochba revolt? New research sheds light on rebellion’s enigmas. Recent paper suggests Jewish veterans from the Roman army may have initially led the 2nd-century Jewish war against the Romans, one of the events connected with Lag B’Omer (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).

Jewish veterans from the Roman army — and not Shimon Bar Kochba — may have initially led the 2nd-century Jewish rebellion against the Romans commonly known as the “Bar Kochba Revolt.”

The revolt — launched by outraged Jews protesting Emperor Hadrian’s decision to construct a city dedicated to Jupiter on the ruins of Jerusalem — is one of the events connected to the Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer, observed on May 15-16 this year.

While Jewish leadership is traditionally attributed to Shimon Bar Kochba, Dr. Haggai Olshanetsky, a researcher at the University of Warsaw, postulated in a recent paper that experienced Roman army veterans launched the revolt, and only later, the extremist self-aggrandizing zealot Bar Kochba took up the reins.

[...]

I already noted Dr. Olshanetsky's article when it came out, but it's worth mentioning again for the holiday. I have also noted more of his work here, here, and here.

For more on Lag B'Omer and the Bar Kokhba Revolt, see here, here, here and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Lag B'Omer 2025

LAG B'OMER, the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, begins tonight at sundown. Best wishes to all observing it.

My 2024 Lag B'Omer post is here with links.

For the biblical and rabbinic background of the holiday, see here and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Greek Ezekiel papyrus on display in Madrid

EXHIBITION: The Ezekiel Papyrus at the National Library, Madrid (Sofia Torallas Tovar).

The Ezekiel Papyrus, our protagonist, opens two universes of great interest, two issues that are intertwined in this exhibition. On the one hand, production and on the other, dispersion. On the one hand, a very ancient codex of the Greek Old Testament, exceptionally well preserved, which presents a biblical text prior to certain processes of textual regularization in the third century CE, therefore a very valuable witness. On the other hand, it is a clear example of the processes that during the 20th century tore cultural heritage to shreds through purchases and dispersal in poorly regulated antiquities markets.

HT Rogue Classicism and the OTTC Blog.

For more on Papyrus 967 (p967) see here and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Guide to ethnographic passages by Diodoros of Sicily

ETHNIC RELATIONS AND MIGRATION IN THE ANCIENT WORLD: Guide to Diodoros of Sicily (Philip A. Harland).

This post provides a guide for reading sequentally through ethnographic passages from Diodoros of Sicily’s Library of History (ca. 36 BCE) on this website: ...

Diodorus (Diodoros) preserves some material from what I call the Greek Fantasy Babylon tradition. For examples from Diodorus himself, see here and (quoting Ctesias) here.

Diodorus also gives an account of the Maccabean Revolt.

And for more on him and his work, see here and links plus here.

For more on Philip Harland's blog, see here and links and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Trotter on Consolatory Rhetoric in Hellenistic Judaism

THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:

Consolatory Rhetoric in Hellenistic Judaism

Hellenistic Jews needed to pick and choose between the various methods of consolation within their biblical heritage and their Greco-Roman culture to interpret suffering, offer comfort, and issue advice about how to behave in hardship.

See also Hellenistic Jews and Consolatory Rhetoric: 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, 1 Thessalonians, and Hebrews (Mohr Siebeck, 2023).

By Christine R. Trotter
Department of Theology and Religious Studies
Georgetown University
May 2025

I noted the publication of the book here and an essay on it by the author here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

A Judeo-Persian Pentateuch based on Targum Onkelos

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: An Early Judeo-Persian Rabbanite Text.

Bernard, Chams Benoît. 2025. An Early Judeo-Persian Rabbanite Text: Vat. Pers. 61, Its Linguistic Variety, Its Arabic Vocabulary, and the Targum Onqelos. Journal of Jewish Languages 1–55.

Follow the link for the abstract and a link to the open-access full text of the article.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

DSS photo essay

PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY: The unbelievable revelations of the Dead Sea Scrolls (Stars Insider, MSN).

Despite the unpromising headline, this is nice collection of photos with informative captions which tell the story of discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and some of their subsequent history.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

A new excavation at Samaria/Sebastia

ARCHAEOLOGY: Archaeologists launch new excavation in West Bank at capital of ancient Israel. Sebastia archaeological site features remains from biblical to modern times; Palestinian Authority denounces dig, accusing Israel of ‘colonial and Judaization practices’ (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).

A new archaeological dig at the ancient site of Sebastia in the West Bank was inaugurated on Monday in the presence of several government officials.

Sebastia – known in Hebrew by its biblical name, “Shomron” – is thought to have been the capital of the northern Israelite kingdom in the 9th and 8th centuries BCE.

The excavations will be led by Uzi Greenfeld, an archaeologist from the Archaeology Unit of the Civil Administration.

[...]

The Jerusalem Post Staff and their AI are pleased:

Israel restarts archaeological excavations at Sebastia after 12-year hiatus. Israel's Minister of Heritage Amihai Eliyahu states, "Sebastia is one of the most important sites in our national and historical heritage."

Haaretz, not so much:

Israel Launches Excavation at Ancient Site of Sebastia in Palestinian Village in West Bank. For decades, Israel refrained from excavating the site, located north of Nablus. The decision to proceed is highly contentious, as international law prohibits such activity by Israel. 'The goal here is about settlement, not tourism,' said the Palestinian head of the local council (Hagar Shezaf)

Politics aside, I hope the new excavation finds more inscribed Samaria ostraca.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Social inferences from the ancient Hebrew onomasticon

EPIGRAPHIC ONOMASTIC ALGORITHM WATCH: Names Reveal Unseen History of Biblical Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, Researchers Say. Using statistical methods first developed to decode Nazi messages in WWII, new study on ancient Hebrew names sheds light on society and belief in First Temple period (Ariel David, Haaretz).

Here's an "Enigma" for you: What links Alan Turing, famed cracker of Nazi codes, to rare butterflies and Hebrew names from the First Temple period?

The answer is that a team of researchers has revealed new information about the history of the biblical kingdoms of Judah and Israel by studying the Hebrew names scribbled on pottery or etched on personal seals during the First Temple period. The analysis used statistical methods first developed during World War II by Turing and colleagues to decode Germany's Enigma cipher, and which have since been applied by ecologists to study rare species.

[...]

Sounds like an interesting study, albeit one that squeezes the last bit of inference out of very limited data. The Haaretz article gives lots of helpful background. The underlying article is also covered in:

What’s in a name? Diving into the ancient names of biblical Israel. Ancient name data reveals Israel was more diverse than Judah, offering new insight into biblical-era societies through a modern statistical lens (JOANIE MARGULIES, Jerusalem Post)

Ancient Israelites were more worldly than their insular Judean cousins, study shows. Using statistical methods from field of ecological biodiversity, Israeli scholars analyze 1,000 First Temple period names and find that the northern state was likely more ‘cosmopolitan’ (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).

A Hebrew University press release is published at Phys.org:

Name diversity sheds light on social patterns in ancient Hebrew kingdoms.

I cannot comment on the underlying article, because, oddly, it is no longer up at the PNAS site. The link is correct, shared by all the above articles, but it goes to a dead end. And neither the title nor the author show up in a search of the site. But you should check the link again. Perhaps it is back up when you read this.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

On the Cairo Geniza

CAIRO GENIZA WATCH: The Cairo Geniza: How a Dusty Attic Changed Jewish History Forever. A thousand years of daily life, debate, and devotion, preserved in a forgotten storeroom in Cairo is reshaping Jewish history (Eliyahu Freedman, AISH.COM).

In 1896, in a forgotten storeroom above the ancient Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, Jewish history changed forever.

The room was dark, dry, and filled with dust—and also with nearly 400,000 fragments made of paper and parchment that had remained untouched for centuries, preserved by Egypt's arid climate. When scholars, notably Solomon Schechter of Cambridge University, first began sorting through this treasure, they unearthed something profound—a time capsule preserving nearly a thousand years of continuous Jewish life and rare texts previously thought to be extinct.

[...

It's good to re-tell this story from time to time.

Especially notable for PaleoJudaica's purposes:

What makes the Cairo Geniza genuinely unparalleled is how it preserved texts once thought lost forever. Among its most significant discoveries is the Damascus Document, an ancient Jewish sectarian manuscript previously known only through medieval copies but later found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Geniza's fragment predates the Dead Sea Scroll version by centuries.

Similarly, it contained the original Hebrew text of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus), a wisdom book composed around 180 BCE that had vanished from Jewish tradition for nearly a millennium.

Likewise, the most complete manuscript of the Aramaic Levi document, from the same period and with more fragmentary manuscripts also found at Qumran. And some Psalms of David, arguably from late antiquity or even older. And Sefer Ha-Razim, a Hebrew magical tracate from the Talmudic era. All three have been published in new translations, two by me, in MOTP1 and MOTP2.

For more discoveries from the Cairo Geniza, see here, here, here, here, here and many links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

On the Testament of Solomon

ETHNIC RELATIONS AND MIGRATION IN THE ANCIENT WORLD: Judean wisdom: Testament of Solomon on Solomon’s superiority in controlling lower spirits and in healing (first-third century CE) (Philip A. Harland).

For PaleoJudaica posts on the Testament of Solomon, see here and links and here. Perhaps also here. The Testament of Solomon is a late-antique Christian work that knows material from the New Testament, but which also is familiar with Jewish traditions. I view the Christian contribution as considerably more than "limited Christian edits."

For more on Philip Harland's blog, see here and links and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Who was the Teacher of Righteousness?

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: A Dead Sea Scrolls Mystery. Who is the Teacher of Righteousness? (Nathan Steinmeyer).

... Who is the Teacher of Righteousness? This enigmatic figure appears in at least two of the major works from Qumran and has, at times, been thought to be the author of many others. Yet, as discussed by Angela Kim Harkins in her article “Are We Still Searching for the Teacher of Righteousness?” published in the Spring 2025 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, we might never know the teacher’s true identity. That is, if there ever was one. ...

The article by Harkness is behind the subscription wall, but this BHD essay goes on to summarize it.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Gupta on the Old Testament Apocrypha

SUBSTACK SERIES: Studying Early Judaism: The OT Apocrypha (Nijay K. Gupta, Studying Early Judaism Substack).

I have noted other posts in the series here and links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Rosenblum, Forbidden: A 3,000-Year History of Jews and the Pig (NYU)

NEW BOOK FROM NYU PRESS:

Forbidden
A 3,000-Year History of Jews and the Pig

by Jordan D. Rosenblum

Published by: NYU Press

Imprint: NYU Press

272 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in, 15 b/w figures

HARDCOVER
9781479831494
PUBLISHED: OCTOBER 2024
$30.00

EBOOK
9781479831500
PUBLISHED: OCTOBER 2024
$30.00

DESCRIPTION

Winner of the 74th National Jewish Book Award: The Jane and Stu­art Weitz­man Fam­i­ly Award for Food Writ­ing and Cook­books

A surprising history of how the pig has influenced Jewish identity

Jews do not eat pig. This (not always true) observation has been made by both Jews and non-Jews for more than three thousand years and is rooted in biblical law. Though the Torah prohibits eating pig meat, it is not singled out more than other food prohibitions. Horses, rabbits, squirrels, and even vultures, while also not kosher, do not inspire the same level of revulsion for Jews as the pig. The pig has become an iconic symbol for people to signal their Jewishness, non-Jewishness, or rebellion from Judaism. There is nothing in the Bible that suggests Jews are meant to embrace this level of pig-phobia.

Starting with the Hebrew Bible, Jordan D. Rosenblum historicizes the emergence of the pig as a key symbol of Jewish identity, from the Roman persecution of ancient rabbis, to the Spanish Inquisition, when so-called Marranos (“Pigs”) converted to Catholicism, to Shakespeare’s writings, to modern memoirs of those leaving Orthodox Judaism. The pig appears in debates about Jewish emancipation in eighteenth-century England and in vaccine conspiracies; in World War II rallying cries, when many American Jewish soldiers were “eating ham for Uncle Sam;” in conversations about pig sandwiches reportedly consumed by Karl Marx; and in recent deliberations about the kosher status of Impossible Pork.

All told, there is a rich and varied story about the associations of Jews and pigs over time, both emerging from within Judaism and imposed on Jews by others. Expansive yet accessible, Forbidden offers a captivating look into Jewish history and identity through the lens of the pig.

As noted on the Agade List, the Washington Free Beacon has a review of the book:

Why Jews Don’t Eat Pork (Though Some Do). REVIEW: ‘Forbidden: A 3,000-Year History of Jews and the Pig’ by Jordan D. Rosenblum (Meir Y. Soloveichik).

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Nir, Characterization in Midrash and Medieval Jewish Bible Commentaries (SBL)

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Characterization in Midrash and Medieval Jewish Bible Commentaries
Sivan Nir

ISBN 9781628376142
Volume BibRec 8
Status Available
Publication Date December 2024

Paperback $78.00
Hardback $98.00
eBook $78.00

Sivan Nir meticulously examines the reimaginings of the biblical figures Balaam, Jeremiah, and Esther in a wide range of Jewish texts from second-century rabbinic sources to medieval Jewish biblical commentaries. Nir’s unique approach analyzes the continuity, or lack thereof, that emerges when characterization is viewed in relation to and in contrast with its cross-cultural context, including the contemporary conventions found in Hellenistic rhetoric and novels, Byzantine Christian literature, Islamic adab and Mu‘tazila literature, and more. Such an approach reveals a transition from typological depictions to richer, more lifelike portrayals—a transformation shaped by rival notions of literature and history. Nir translates the sources into accessible English for students and scholars of not only Jewish exegesis but also those in Christian theology, Islamic studies, and world literature.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

A new Regius Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge

ANNOUNCEMENT: Aaron Koller joins AMES. Aaron Koller joins AMES as the new Regius Professor of Hebrew (Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Cambridge University).

Welcome to Professor Aaron Koller who will join the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the end of September 2025 as the newly appointed Regius Professor of Hebrew.

[..]

Yeshiva University also has an announcement of his departure:

Professor Koller to Depart YU, Join Cambridge as Regius Professor of Hebrew (Daniel Kohn, YU Commentator).

Professor Aaron Koller (YC ‘97, BRGS ‘09), instructor for Near Eastern Studies at Yeshiva University, will join Cambridge as Regius Professor of Hebrew next fall.

[...]

Congratulations both to Professor Koller and to Cambridge University on the new appointment.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Review of Llewellyn-Jones, The Cleopatras

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: The Cleopatras: the forgotten queens of Egypt.

Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, The Cleopatras: the forgotten queens of Egypt. New York: Basic Books, 2024. Pp. 384. ISBN 9781541602922.

Review by
Deirdre Klokow, University of Texas at Austin. deirdre.klokow@austin.utexas.edu

... Although a much-needed update to John Whitehorne’s 1994 The Cleopatras, Llewellyn-Jones’ chronicle of the foundations laid by the ascent to power of these often-ignored royal women is hindered by a novelistic style and less-than critical approach to the complexities of the source material. ...

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Cleopatra VII (the Cleopatra), who reportedly spoke Hebrew and Aramaic, start here (cf. here) and follow the links.

PaleoJudaica posts involving Cleopatra V Tryphaena, who likely was the mother of Cleopatra VII, are here and here. And comments on Cleopatra I Syra and Cleopatra III are here, and more on Cleopatra I is here and here. The latter two Cleos are mentioned in the Book of Daniel (I) and in 1 Maccabees (III).

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

The Text Lab

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Introducing the Text Lab: Helping Students Engage with Ancient Sources (Alexander Chantziantoniou and Isaac Soon).

This article introduces a classroom activity called a Text Lab, which helps students engage critically with ancient texts while familiarizing them with the tools and scholarship necessary to analyze these sources. While this has been applied to the specific fields of its authors (biblical studies), it is applicable to any field within the humanities involving source media (e.g., literature, classics, history, philosophy, etc.), just as its predecessor does, the “gobbet.” After introducing what a Text Lab is, we outline the details of how it works, before concluding with a brief discussion of why it works.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

On the Behistun inscription in Aramaic

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: Authority, Assimilation and Afterlife of the Epilogue of Bīsotūn (DB 4:36–92).

This post flags an important open-access article on the Behistun inscription:

"Imitatio Dei, Imitatio Darii: Authority, Assimilation and Afterlife of the Epilogue of Bīsotūn (DB 4:36–92)" by Gad Barnea in Religions 2025, 16(5), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050597.

Abstract

The Bīsotūn inscription of Darius I (DB) is a masterpiece of ancient literature containing descriptions of historical events, imperial propaganda, cultic statements, ethical instructions, wisdom insights, blessings and curses, and engagements with posterity. It was disseminated far and wide within the empire and left a lasting impression on the cultures with which it came into contact. However, a specific section of this royal inscription (DB 4:36–92), carefully crafted to address future audiences in the second person, stands out sharply from the rest of the text. This passage has made a striking, profound, and durable impression on future generations—which extended over the longue durée in both time and space. This article focuses on the decisive cultic theme undergirding DB in general and its fourth column in particular namely, the king’s profound sense of imitatio dei in the cosmic battle against “the Lie,” complemented by his appeal to an imitatio Darii by all future audiences of his words. The impact of this call can be traced in later literature: in a DB variant found at Elephantine and, most notably, a hitherto unknown exegetical legend found in Qumran, which seeks to explain this portion of DB through an Achaemenid court tale.

This inscription is of great historical and philogical interest. It was important for the decipherment of Akkadian cuneiform.. It is also of some interest as a propaganda precursor to the Aramaic Fantasy Babylon tradition. The latter is important for understanding, in particular, the biblical Book of Daniel. For relevant PaleoJudaica posts see here and here (cf. here and here).

In the Behistun inscription Darius recounts, among many other events, his putting down the revolts of two Babylonian kings, Nidintu-Bel (Nebuchadnezzar III) in 522 B.C.E. (lines 16-19), and Arakha (Nebuchadnezzar IV) in 521 B.C.E. (lines 49-51).

As this article notes, a fragmentary Aramaic translation of the inscription was recovered among the Elephanitine papyri. This demonstrates that Persian anti-Babylonian propaganda was already being translated into Aramaic in the fifth century BCE. The article also deals with an Aramaic form of the inscription that inspired a recently deciphered Jewish work (4Q550) among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

For additional PaleoJudaica posts on the Behuistun (Bistun, Bīsotūn) inscription, see here and links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Karatepe bilingual inscriptions added to UNESCO Memory of the World International Register

PHOENICIAN WATCH: Karatepe Aslantas inscriptions enter UNESCO Memory of World Register (Türkiye Today Newsroom).

The ancient bilingual inscriptions of Karatepe Aslantas Open-Air Museum in Osmaniye, Türkiye, have been officially inscribed into the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register.

These inscriptions, written in both Anatolian Hieroglyphic and Phoenician scripts, highlight one of the earliest known examples of bilingual writing in the ancient Near East and provide invaluable insights into the linguistic and cultural landscape of the first millennium B.C.

[...]

This is good news. The article has more information on the award, the importance of the inscriptions, and their significance for tourism and cultural heritage. All good.

But, oddly, it never gets around to telling us what the inscriptions say. I am sometimes bemused by the questions that (some, not all) journalists ask and don't ask.

Luckily for you, readers, PaleoJudaica is here for you. The lapidary biligual Karatepe Phoenician/Luvian inscriptions are also known as the Azatiwada inscriptions, after the name of the 8th century BCE Cicilian local king who erected them. They tell of his accomplishments and his service to his patron overlord. You can read more about Azatiwada and his inscription, with an English translation of the latter, at Wikipedia's Karatepe bilingual entry.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

More Philodemus from Herculaneum

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: X-ray reveals ancient Greek author of charred first century BC Vesuvius scroll. Ink traces show text is part of work by Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, burned during AD79 volcano eruption (Ian Sample, The Guardian).

A charred scroll recovered from a Roman villa that was buried under ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago has been identified as the influential work of an ancient Greek philosopher.

Researchers discovered the title and author on the Herculaneum scroll after X-raying the carbonised papyrus and virtually unwrapping it on a computer, the first time such crucial details have been gleaned from the approach.

Traces of ink lettering visible in the X-ray images revealed the text to be part of a multi-volume work, On Vices, written by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus in the first century BC. The scroll is one of three from Herculaneum housed at the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford.

[...]

This scroll ( P.Herc. 172) was in the news earlier this year, when it was already speculated (based on several deciphered words) that it was by Philodemus. But now the researchers have found in addition the author, title, and perhaps a volume number. That confirms who wrote it, which work it was, and possibly that it was volume 1. But there's still a lot of work to do to recover any substantial part of the scroll.

Nevertheless, progress is progress and we should celebrate it. Bit by bit, a letter at a time, whatever it takes. Until we're done.

The Heculaneum library was carbonized during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE. What is left of it is gradually being recovered and deciphered with cutting-edge new technology. For much more on it and on the works by the philosopher Philodemus already recovered from Heculaneum, start here (cf. here) and follow the links.

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On Jannes and Jambres, with an important announcement

ETHNIC RELATIONS AND MIGRATION IN THE ANCIENT WORLD: Egyptian / Persian / Judean wisdom: Judean legends of Jannes and Jambres as Magians in the Exodus account (third century CE and earlier) (Philip A. Harland).

This post is a useful introduction to the traditions about Jannes and Jambres. It includes translations of substantial fragments of the ancient book about them.

For more on this blog, see here and here and links.

With the publication of Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2, More Noncanonical Scriptures, we have considerably more information the about the Book of Jannes and Jambres, with translations of new fragments of the Greek text and of a recently discovered Ethiopic translation. An additional manuscript of a complete copy of the Ethiopic version was discovered just too late for us to include a full translation. But Ted Erho has provided an appendix with a preliminary summary of the contents of the manuscript.

I hinted at this discovery here, but was unable to say more at the time.

Bit by bit, a letter at a time, whatever it takes. Until we're done.

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Review of Lang, Handbook of the Vulgate Bible and its reception (open access)

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Handbook of the Vulgate Bible and its reception

Bernhard Lang, Handbook of the Vulgate Bible and its reception. Vulgata in dialogue. Berlin: The Vulgate Institute, 2023. Pp. 778.

Review by
Matthew Kraus, University of Cincinnati. Matthew.kraus@uc.edu

Open access

“The Handbook of the Vulgate Bible and Its Reception has no model and no predecessor, being the first work of its kind” (p.5), boldly announces Bernhard Lang in the Preface. Loosely structured as a classified and annotated bibliography and including literature reviews, a glossary of biblical Latin, a preliminary linguistic commentary on selected biblical verses, sidebars on discrete topics, and covering the history of the Vulgate from its origins to the present, the work indeed defies conventional classifications. And yet this approach from multiple, discrete angles best serves a text relevant to numerous fields. ...

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Conference: The Achaemenid Persian Empire and its Non-Western Borderlands: A Change of Paradigm (Innsbruck)

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA:The Achaemenid Persian Empire and its Non-Western Borderlands: A Change of Paradigm.

At Innsbruck University, Australia, on 20-23 November 2025, with the first and last day for arrival and departure. Follow the link for the program. Oddly, I can't find registration information anywhere, but there are a few more details here.

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Ptolemaic and Roman-era military fortifications excavated in North Sinai

ARCHAEOLOGY: Fortress discovered in Northern Sinai, including Roman-era soldiers' dwellings. Well-preserved Roman-era soldiers' dwellings were unearthed, providing a clear picture of daily life at the fortress during the reigns of emperors Diocletian and Maximian (Jerusalem Post Staff).

Excavations at the Tell Abu Seifi site in North Sinai uncovered extensive remains of ancient military fortifications, soldiers' quarters, and a trench.

The mission revealed more than 500 clay planting circles made of mudbrick on both sides of an ancient road. These circles are believed to have been used to cultivate trees that adorned the fortress's grand entrance during the Ptolemaic era, enhancing understanding of aesthetic and functional elements of military architecture in that period.

Well-preserved Roman-era soldiers' dwellings were also unearthed, offering a clear picture of daily life at the fortress during the reigns of Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. These structures provide valuable information on the living conditions and organization of Roman soldiers in Egypt's eastern frontier.

[...]

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Masoretic Text variants in Rabbinic quotations

PROF. SIMCHA KOGUT: Variants in the Masoretic Text: From Talmud to Rashi (TheTorah.com).

Rabbinic quotations of the Bible differ in some instances from the Masoretic Text. In some cases, the rabbis were aware it was a variant; other times they were not.

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Tony Burke's Regensburg Year: April

THE APOCRYPHICITY BLOG: My Regensburg Year Part 9: April 2025.

Tony Burke is on research sabbatical for the 2024-25 academic year at the University of Regensburg in Germany.

This month's post includes a Croatian adventure and report on work on the introductory chapter of Tony's book, "telling a chronological history of the composition, transmission, and publishing of Christian apocrypha."

For earlier posts in the series and more on Tony's work, see here and links.

Cross-file under New Testament Apocrypha Watch.

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Educational excavation at Chorazin

ARCHAEOLOGY: Tourists and Child Archaeologists Break New Ground at Ancient Chorazin. Sixth-graders unearth homes near the synagogue of Chorazin where Jesus preached. Archaeologist Achia Kohn-Tavor is leading a project to involve everybody – foreign tourists, whole families, toddlers included – in revealing their heritage (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

Chorazin's excavation began in 1905, continued in the 1920s, was picked up in 1962 and again in the 1980s, and since 2009, has been pursued by foreign tourists and elementary schoolchildren.

Under the direction of the archaeologist Achia Kohn-Tavor since 2014, this is not a toy excavation. It's the real deal with little kiddies, whole families and foreign tourists paying for the experience to actually dig at a real site for an hour, or a day, or a few days, breaking unexcavated ground and making genuine discoveries.

Besides describing the creative educational approach of the excavation, this long article discusses the ancient site of Chorazin—best known for being cursed by Jesus—in much detail.

For PaleoJudaica posts on Chorazin (modern Korazim), see here and links.

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NEH funding canceled for Critical Edition of the Hebrew Psalter Project

AN UNFORTUNATE DECISION: Trump Cuts to Humanities Grants Undermine a Stated Priority: Restoring Religion (YONAT SHIMRON, RNS [reportedly - I can't find the article there] via Word&Way).

But along with nearly 1,500 other NEH grants that supported work at colleges and universities, the Psalms project was canceled earlier this month as part of the Trump administration’s purge of the independent agency that supported research and scholarship in religion as well. That purge included the elimination of 65% of NEH’s employees. ...

The project included building a computer database of hundreds of early copies of the Psalms, a set of 150 lyrical poems beloved by Jews and Christians alike. Among the oldest scrolls are 40 fragments of the Psalms discovered in caves near the Dead Sea between 1946 and 1956, as well as about 150 medieval manuscripts and many Greek scrolls and codices.

Strawn and Longacre’s project was an attempt to reconstruct the best readings of the Psalms from all the versions that have been unearthed so far. The grant covered the first 50 of the 150 Psalms. Other scholars have already been selected to complete the remaining 100 Psalms.

The archetype that Strawn and Longacre were going to create, sometimes called an “eclectic” edition, would become the foundational text for all modern translations of the Bible. Bible scholars have already completed an eclectic edition of the New Testament, but none exists for the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible books.

“With around 200 volunteers, we’re training a large proportion of America’s up-and-coming Bible scholars in how to work with manuscripts and digital text editing,” Longacre said. “With that much impact for the buck, canceling the grant makes no sense.”

The "chainsaw approach" of DOGE is clearly eliminating grants that, like this one, do further the President’s agenda and should, on the Trump administration's own terms, be preserved. But it's also true that many of DOGE's cuts have been restored upon review.

I encourage the recipients of this grant to make the case vigorously that the decision should be reversed. I'm not sure what the NEH review process is in this unprecedented situation, but, whatever it is, pursue it. And some respectful posts on X making the case on the administration's own terms, and amplified by as many people as possible, could have an effect.

The project advances a better understanding of the text of the Bible, which is in the public's interest, it coheres with the administration's priorities, and it is a good use of taxpayer funds, with well-defined and measurable outcomes. It involves the Dead Sea Scrolls, for which the public has much interest and enthusiasm.

Say that. Say it in detail, echoing the language of the NEH announcement of its new priorities.

There is a strong case to be made here, so make it. Feel free to link to this post if you think it would help.

I noted the Critical Edition of the Hebrew Psalter Project here and here.

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Teen Bible contest opens the Codex Sassoon exhibit

EXHIBITION COMPETITION: Jewish teens from around the world compete in International Bible Contest in Tel Aviv. Teens showcase biblical knowledge as contest airs live on Ynetnews, celebrating biblical heritage alongside the unveiling of the ancient Codex Sassoon (Ynetnews).

Jewish teenagers from across the globe gathered Sunday at the ANU – Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv for the International Youth Bible Contest, marking the first time the prestigious event was held at the museum. The competition, which airs live on Ynetnews, is part of a month-long celebration marking the permanent display of the Codex Sassoon, the world’s oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible.

[...]

Also on display:

As part of the celebrations, the museum opened an exhibition of the Oritā of Kes Abba Yitzhak Aysu, a rare manuscript from the Ethiopian Jewish tradition. The exhibition, curated in collaboration with Tel Aviv University, offers a glimpse into the sacred texts and oral traditions preserved by the Beta Israel community.

This is an Ethiopic Octateuch (the Pentateuch plus Joshua, Judges, and Ruth). More on it here.

Background on the sale of Codex Sassoon and its donation to ANU, the Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, is here and many links.

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Vidas, The Rise of Talmud (OUP)

NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Rise of Talmud

Moulie Vidas

The Bible and the Humanities

£119.00

Hardback
Published: 20 March 2025
368 Pages
234x156mm
ISBN: 9780198915027

Also Available As:
E-book

Description

The rabbinic sages of antiquity are known for their sophisticated and creative reading of Scripture. But beginning in the third century CE, these sages also took on extensive commentary on another kind of text: the sages' own teachings. Focusing on the first collection attesting to this branch of scholarship, the oft-neglected Talmud Yerushalmi, The Rise of Talmud argues that this new project presented a wide-ranging transformation of the sages' scholarly practice and self-perception. On the one hand, it engaged premises and methods distinct from those the sages applied to Scripture, such as textual criticism and the interpretation of texts in light of the individuals to whom they were attributed. On the other hand, this book shows, this distinct approach did not stem from preexisting differences in the conceptions of Scripture and rabbinic teachings: it reflected a broad reconceptualization of the tradition, diverging from how these teachings were construed by earlier generations. Recognizing these unique aspects of ancient Talmudic scholarship centers its development as a pivotal moment in Jewish intellectual history and offers a richer picture of rabbinic hermeneutics; it also allows us to situate it better among other scholarly traditions of the Greco-Roman world and to examine how different ideas, aims, and contexts shape textual scholarship—including our own.

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